President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte urged sports leaders and stakeholders to continue their “worthwhile endeavors” as he formally opened the National Sports Summit 2021 during the virtual rites on Wednesday.
“My warmest greetings to the Philippine Sports Commission as it spearheads the National Sports Summit 2021. This online sports lecture-forum is indeed timely as we turn to sports as a means to move forward and engendered national unity especially as we deal with a Covid-19 pandemic,” Duterte said in his recorded video message.
Duterte encouraged the almost 600 participants to continue doing valuable acts that would inspire the younger generations.
“Conducting this initiative through this online platform proves that sports can still be a tool in promoting excellence and instilling pride in the hearts of our people even as we prepare for the new normal. I urge all the participants to continue your worthwhile endeavors so that we may empower further all Filipinos especially the youth,” he said.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports, congratulated the PSC for its efforts in upholding unity and national betterment through sports.
“I would like to thank and congratulate the Philippine Sports Commission for organizing this important activity that highlights the value of sports in society. Sports has always been an underrated aspect of nation-building. Given the ongoing pandemic, I believe that sports could serve as a driver for all Filipinos to rise together as one nation,” Go said.
Go also guaranteed his support to Philippine sports to achieve lasting legacies in the grassroots level and most especially to the elite national squad.
“As Chair of Senate Committee and Sports, rest assured that I will continue to support long-term sports development in the country through our hard work and unity, I am confident that more Filipino athletes will put the country on the world stage and that the sports will help us create a much better future for the entire nation,” Go said.
Also present during the program was House Committee on Youth and Sports Chairman John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones, and PSC Chairman William Ramirez along with his PSC board members.
“Let us use sports as a driving force to inspire our fellow Filipinos. To dream again for that elusive Olympic gold medal that for me, is now within our reach. It’s time to have these sports conversations,” Nieto said.
Nieto commended the PSC leaders and other sports stakeholders “who have contributed to the success of this endeavor.”
“We wish you a good summit and wonderful discoveries. We hope that with your gathering and getting together, sports would evenly strengthen and we will finally, reach our dream and our goal of producing more world-class athletes not only for our schools, municipalities, provinces, and country but on a global scale as well,” Briones said in her recorded speech.
Ramirez reminded everyone to “live out your purpose in sports -- whether you are an athlete, a coach, a sports educator, a local government sports coordinator or a stakeholder -- sports has always taught us to rise up to challenges, dream bigger than us, to reach for goals which border on the impossible. Together we can do so many things, achieve much for sports and our country.”
The National Sports Summit 2021 is a three-phased project of the PSC where all the data gathered from sports conversations online conference will be used as part of the agency’s groundwork in crafting a new set of resolutions that could be used by sports leaders, lawmakers, and stakeholders for the advancement of Philippine sports. (PR)
